Art of aerial transportation



ART QF AERIAL TnANsroRTATIoN Filed n ec. 5, 1940 #E @WM Patented Oct. 13, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ART or AERIAL TRANSPORTATION Francois Alabrune, Chicago, Ill. Application December 5, 1940, serial Ne. 368,659 4 claims. 11.244--13'0` This invention relates to art of transportation by airplane or the like.

The present invention will be understood by reference to the following description, taken togather with the accompanying drawing, in

by flexible cables J and K extending from eachv of the planes A and B respectively. The leader cable L may extend directly.- from the object T and the cables -J and K may be both connected to the leader cable L as'at N by any suitable connecting means. The attachment of the object T to the leader cable L or of the leader cable L to the cables J and K, or either of such attachments, may be by a swivel arrangement as is well known in the art. When thus connected, the planes A and B may describe a circular flight above the object T and either while increasing their elevation or decreasing 'the length of the cable may raise the object from the ground.

In one aspect of the present improvement, the planes A and B are caused to be initially at diametrlcally opposite points on a circle described by eachplane, in this instance the common circle R which has its center at V, and upon the axis just referred to, that is, increasing the elevation of the planes or retracting the cables.

VIn any case, by following my invention, .the velocity of the object Tis advantageously gradually increased from zero to a velocity closely approaching that of the plane A, asshown say in Fig. 7, at which time the planes A and B are dying almost in the same direction with the object T suspended between them. When the planes have thus been brought to flyalmost in of which the object T initially lies. During this time the object T is desirably lifted above the ground G and suspended in the air between the planes A and B, as shown in Fig. 2.

In accordance with the present invention, the plane B, say, next begins to accelerate its speed relative to the speed of the plane A and, as shown in Fig. 3, this causes an imaginary line connecting the planes A and B in the vertical projections of the cables J and K to denne a chord of the circle R instead of a diameter as initially, and this again causes the object T to shift from the axis V, and as the speed of the plane B is continued to be accelerated the object T describes a substantially flat spiral parallel and below the circle R as shown at S successively in Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive.

As the planes A and B thus come closer together on the circle R, the spiral S may not be strictly the same direction, they may then readily depart from the circle R as shown in Fig. 8, on a tangent to the circle which both planes may follow, so that they may be at this time flying substantially in the same direction and, as here shown, in file, in the direction indicated by the arrow Y.

Thus, not only is the velocity of the object T brought Igradually up to that of the plane A but when the planes depart from their circular course the velocity of the object T is substantially in the direction in which the planes depart so as to minimize undesirable lateral swing of the object in leaving its spiral course. By increasing the number of revolutions of the planes before leaving their circular course, such lateral swing of the object may be reduced to a value approaching It will be understood that as the planes depart from their circular course as shown in Fig. 8,

the plane B may now reduce its speed to that of the plane A, or, if desired, may continue to accelerate its speed so as to come say' abreast of the plane A with the object T suspended laterally between the planes instead of in file, as may or may not be preferred in practice.

In the illustrative procedure herein specifically described, I have shown one expedient for applying a launching force to the object (which might itself be another airplane) to cause it to move movers, such as here the planes .A and B.

destination with the object T, the process may be reversed to land the object, i. e., the leading plane A may then head into a circle followed by the plane B also in a circle, for example, as first shown in Fig. 8, but with both the order and direction of the planes reversed, and the plane B may then, instead oi accelerating, decelerate its speed, for example, in the reverse to that shown in Figs. 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2 successively, until it is substantially diametrically opposite the piane A, whereupon the object T will be upon the axis of the circle or circles and its velocity will then have been reduced to a value approaching zero. The object may then be lowered to the ground either by the planes paying out cable or reducing their elevation while the planes are continuing to circle, whereupon when the object is so deposited the cables may be released from the object.

Having described an illustrative procedure in the practice of my invention, I claim:

l. In the art of transportation by airplane, the method comprising the steps of flexibly connecting an object to two planes, flying each plane in a substantially circular course about the object, causing the planes to be at diametrically opposite points while initially lifting the object .by the planes, and then accelerating the speed of one ofy the planes relative to the other while still maintaining a substantially circular course until both planes are flying in approximately the same direction.

2. In the art of transportation by airplane, the method comprising the steps of ,ilexibly connecting an object to a plurality of planes, flying each plane in a substantially circular course about the object with the object substantially on` the axis of the circle described by the plane while initially lifting the object by the planes, then accelerating the relative speed of less than all of the planes while still maintaining a substantially circular course until the planes are flying in approximately the same direction whereby the object is caused to move in a spiral at a velocity gradually accelerated from nothing to that approaching ,the velocity of the planes, and causing the planes to depart from the circle in the desired common direction whereby the velocity of the object is substantially in the same direction.

3. In the art of transportation 'by airplane or the like, the method of moving an object by a plurality of prime movers exibly connected thereto which comprises the steps of moving each prime mover in a substantially circular course with the object suspended therebetween, and accelerating or deceleratlng the speed of less than all of the prime movers to cause the object to move laterally of the axis of movement while describing a spiral course thereabout whereby the velocity of the object is gradually varied with respect to the velocity of the prime movers.

4. In the art of transportation by airplane, the method comprising the steps of exibly connecting an object to a plurality of planes, flying each plane in a substantially circular course while supporting the object by the planes, then decelerating the relative speed of less than all the planes while still maintaining a substantially circular course until a plurality of the planes are at substantially diametrically opposite points whereby the object is caused to move in a spiral at a velocity gradually decelerated from that of the planes to substantially zero at the center of the circle.

FRANCOIS ALABRUNE. 

